Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2021

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 70 percent disabling, and the Board has remanded for further development.,Service connection for right shoulder arthritis was granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting information in the October 2019 VA examination report and a need for further development, including scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, with peripheral neuropathy; hypertension; and CAD, to include as secondary to hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, anxiety, and various musculoskeletal conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 8, 2010. The Board has granted the TDIU from that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from June 10, 2004 to April 20, 2010. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is found to be the primary cause of her insomnia, and she is already in receipt of a 30% rating for anemia. The claims for fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus type II, radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and mouth trauma are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), stroke residuals, and peripheral neuropathy, are found to be at least in equipoise as to whether they prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities effective August 25, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, and memory loss/confusion due to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his active duty.,Service connection was denied as there is no evidence that the Veteran's current conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and his service connection for peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and his service-connected disabilities. The VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinions, and failed to consider the Veteran's lay statements and medical articles.

The Board granted service connection for right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran's initial rating of 30 percent for major depressive disorder prior to September 21, 2017 was also granted.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and peripheral neuropathy of the right arm, left arm, right leg, and left leg as there was no evidence showing a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to an error in not considering exposure to commercial herbicides used during the Veteran's active duty.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at 70 percent, granting a higher rating than previously. Service connection has also been granted for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and multiple sclerosis due to conflicting diagnoses and lack of recent VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with MDD and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and its secondary effects, due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms during and after service.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not service-connected as it is not related to his active military service.,There is no evidence of peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities during or recent to the filing of the claim, thus denying service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's sleep apnea was not found secondary to PTSD. The matter is remanded for further development.,No current diagnosis of a skin condition (claimed as chloracne) has been established in the medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of certain medical evidence and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly evaluate the Veteran's service-connected right greater auricular neuropathy and TDIU claims, including obtaining updated medical records and conducting a new examination.